


Jealous

by mythicalmonochrome



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst, Drunk Driving, Infidelity, M/M, Panic Attacks, Pining, Post-Wedding, Requited Love, Reunions, Songfic, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-08 00:03:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14092641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mythicalmonochrome/pseuds/mythicalmonochrome
Summary: I’m jealous of the rainThat falls upon your skinIt’s closer than my hands have beenI’m jealous of the rain





	1. Jealous

**Author's Note:**

> This was heavily inspired by the song "Jealous" by Labrinth. I highly suggest listening to it before reading this.
> 
> Thank you to [@matrimus](http://matrimus.tumblr.com/) for inspiring me to write this.

Rhett wasn’t sure what he was going to say during his speech tomorrow. He felt like he should, but the words never seemed to come. He’d been Link’s friend, his best friend, practically their entire life, yet he didn’t have a single word on the paper in front of him. 

His hand clutched the pen tightly, the skin white against his knuckles. He felt clammy and flustered and his face fell to a sickly pale color. There was too much to say that was too late to say, too much that he couldn't say. As stubborn as he was, he would never be the type to crash a wedding. He hadn’t grown that bitter.

At least that’s what he told himself. He certainly _was_ that bitter, but he still wouldn’t go through with it. He knew that Link would never forgive him. 

He still spent most of his time daydreaming about Link, like a child with too big of an imagination. 

He still thought sometimes that they would end up together. A divorce, maybe, where Rhett would be the friend there to comfort Link with a shoulder to cry on, the one who would stay with him through thick and thin. He felt almost pathetic having these thoughts.

He couldn’t entertain those ridiculous notions anymore. Tomorrow, he would stand next to his best friend, the closest thing he had to a blood brother. He would watch him marry the woman he loved, Christy. Because that’s how it should be. How it had to be.

His hand clenched around the pen started to cramp, drawing him out of his headspace. He slammed it down against the hardwood of the table, maybe a bit too hard. Everything ached from the inside out. He grabbed a stack of discarded wedding invitations and hurled them across the room in anger.

His chest ached with throbbing pain, not one of the physical kind, but a dull sting that didn’t seem to go away. It felt like he wasn’t breathing right, his lungs contracting hard on a breath of air. He knew he was okay, but everything felt wrong.

Rhett thought that if he’d confessed to Link in middle school or even high school, this could have all been prevented. He assumed there would always be tomorrow, that maybe Link would catch on. Surely, he wouldn’t always be that foolish.

Except he was.

Tomorrow would be their last tomorrow, and it would be wasted. Just like the others.

* * *

The ceremony was exactly like Rhett thought it would be. The skies blue and the strong sunlight beaming down, casting a vibrant splash of light to the white orchids that splayed across the grass. Then the church bells, beautiful noise resonating over the whispers of the wind flowing through the trees. 

But all Rhett could look at was Link. His pale blue eyes, staring straight back at him - soft and revered.

Rhett tried not to tense his body too much as Christy walked down the aisle. He made one last lighthearted jab at Christy about women who settle and watched the way Link’s lips curved upward into a smile, even as Rhett playfully elbowed him in his side and joked about his awkward personality. Rhett tried his best to smile through his pain.

Everything suddenly felt so far away, even though Link was standing right beside him. The glint of the diamond ring that he helped Link pick out slipped perfectly onto Christy’s finger. She didn’t care to look at the ring, though, instead just slipping in to kiss Link’s cheeky grin, a chorus of laughter and cheers erupting from the crowd. 

He tried to make it through the reception as best he could. He drank too much wine and ended up spilling it on one of Christy's relatives, though they didn’t seem too upset, shrugging it off with a laugh. Link pulled Rhett aside to give him a stern talking to, and he was promptly cut off from liquor for the night before he was drunk enough to give his speech.

The speech he never wrote. He only hoped the right words would come to him. He realized, as soon as he climbed onto the stage and clutched at the microphone, that he was wrong. His mouth felt dry, and he felt a sharp rush of air in his throat when the anxiety hit him. Someone in the audience cleared their throat, breaking the awkward silence, and Rhett laughed and grinned, allowing for his charismatic personality to smooth the crowd over.

“I’ve known Link since we were kids,” he began. They had known eachother since they were kids, and yet, he had never gotten around to telling him he loved him. 

“He has been my best friend for that long too.” They might have been more than that if he’d recognized that time didn’t slow down for anyone.

“He’s one of the best… one of the most amazing people that I know. I’m so happy for him, so happy. Because he’s happy. I just want him to be happy.” He stuttered more, choking a little on the last word. He could hear the uncomfortable silence from the audience again. Rhett _did_ want Link to be happy, that wasn't a lie. He just wished it could be with the right person. “And I believe that he will be, with this lovely woman, Christy. So, cheers to them.”

Heads shifted around in the audience in confusion, feeling a little uncertain as they toasted, Rhett with a glass of water. Rhett hurried off stage and back out into the crowd before he felt a strong hand on his shoulder, turning him around.

“What the hell was that?” Link spat.

“I’m sorry, I have to go now. Gotta go... uh, to the bathroom.”

He didn’t go to the bathroom. He ended up back in his car, sobbing into the hard rubber of the steering wheel, feeling his chest tear apart. The heavy ache became too much for him to bear; it dug into his bones, into his chest and ribs, consuming and endless. He was cursed to love a man who would never return his feelings. Not today, not ever.

Rhett was a good friend. He thought maybe he should go back to the reception hall and apologize to Link and Christy, and maybe sneak some more wine. Get drunk enough to forget the rest of the night.

Instead, he drove home. To the apartment, they used to share, but now all of Link’s belongings had been packed up ready to move in with Christy on the other side of town. He barely made it to the front door before he collapsed to the ground. 

He couldn’t stop sobbing, the pain running deep like a kick in the gut. 

He ended up falling asleep until the sun rose again. His back stung with pain from passing out on the hardwood floor, and he felt an uncomfortable heat against his skin. 

Maybe if he just ignored it, he would fall asleep again.

Half an hour went by without any luck, and he began to wonder if maybe all of this was part of some unspoken karma.

His landline showed ten missed calls, and one voicemail from Link. Rhett was tempted to ignore it, or delete it, and move on from this. But with a shaky hand, he dialed the number for his messages.

_Rhett? Rhett, where are you, man? Your car’s gone – why did you take off? Are you sick? You’re in no state to drive, man, what’re you thinking?_

He sounded worried. 

_Look, just… just call me back when you get this, okay? I’m worried about you. I’m… I’m sorry if you thought I was coming down hard on you earlier, after your speech. I didn’t mean to, I just… what was that, Rhett? I wanted a wedding toast, not a elegy._

Link laughed, his voice nearly in a whisper now.

_Whatever, okay, it doesn’t matter anymore. I just want you here. I need you, Rhett. I need my best man by my side tonight._

The tears were coming again. They streamed down Rhett's face, leaving hot trails against his cheeks. He didn't bother to wipe them away, he was sure there were more coming, so there was no point. He sobbed hard, sinking to his knees again, realizing his deepest fear had come true. He gripped the end of the table next to him, his sobs ripping into the seams of his body.

His cries filled the living room as he slid down to sit on the floor, gripping his fists at his sides. The sound of Link's voice echoed against the walls of the house, repeating over and over in Rhett's mind, relentless. He gasped and choked on his sobs, desperate for any reprieve from what he was feeling.

He stopped willing the tears away and let them flow once again, collapsing down into a heap. He stayed like that for a while, bent at the waist, his head buried in his hands. He allowed himself to feel the static in his brain, like a television set that couldn't find a signal. White noise taking the place in Rhett's heart that had been cracked straight down the middle.

The sun crept through the windows and into the house, casting a ray of light on to Rhett's back. He didn't know how long he had been there, and he didn't care.

A sudden knock on the door was enough to knock him out of that headspace. He hiccuped, furiously wiping away his tears.

"J-just a minute!" Rhett yelled from across the room. He dragged himself back on to his feet and to the front door, his hands trembling over the doorknob now.

He twisted the door open, swinging it wide open, and was met with a pair of wet, puffy eyes.

Link.

He looked like he hadn't slept a wink the night before, and he probably hadn't. He still had his tuxedo on, the buttons loosened and down now. He looked like a wreck, his hair disheveled and unkempt, heavy bags under his eyes.

The two stood there in silence, the world around them slowing down.

"Link..."

Link stumbled forward with his arms extended, pulling Rhett into a tight embrace. He didn't hesitate about it, either, wrapping his arms around Rhett and pulling him close until their bodies were flush. Rhett wrapped Link in his own arms, his hands on either side of Link's back. He fell into the embrace and rested his head on Link's shoulder.

Every story, every thought, every memory of their friendship flickered painfully across Rhett's mind.

But, as long as Link was there with him, those thoughts wouldn't bother him, because Link would be there to break him free from their control.


	2. Not In That Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _And I hate to say I love you_   
>  _When it's so hard for me_   
>  _And I hate to say I want you_   
>  _When you make it so clear_   
>  _You don't want me_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many people requested that I continue this as a multi-chaptered series. I hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> I recommend listening to “Not In That Way” by Sam Smith and “Last Request” by Paola Nutini while reading this.

“What are you doing here, man?” Rhett pulled himself tighter against Link’s chest, savoring the gentle warmth, spanning his fingers across the length of his back.

“I’m sorry, man. I was worried. You left last night, and you were drunk, or close to it. You didn’t pick up the phone all night,” Link paused, pressing his weight gently onto Rhett. 

“I thought something horrible happened to you.” Link lifted his head back, and placed his hands firmly on the sides of Rhett’s face, causing an almost knee-jerk reaction from him. 

“What’re you doing? Stop.” Rhett demanded with a stern tone to his voice. He instinctively pulled away, pushing Link’s hands out of the way and breaking himself free of their embrace.

It's not that he didn’t want Link touching him, but it was all wrong.

“Stop what? I was worried about you, man. Is that not okay? You could’ve died last night.” Link choked up. He stuffed both of his hands in the front pockets of his pants, trying to hold back his tears. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to cry.

Rhett looked at the pain that flashed through Link’s eyes, yet he didn’t regret the implication of his words. All Rhett could feel now was a pit in his stomach and the burn in his lungs that tore through him each time he inhaled. 

“I... please don’t,” Rhett said, taking several steps back away from Link. They were only a few inches apart, but it might as well have been a canyon. 

“Don’t do what? You’re not makin’ any sense right now. Are you still drunk?” 

“No, I’m fine, man. Forget it. I’m okay, promise.” 

Rhett looked at Link for a while, not knowing what to say. His heart felt like it had stopped, sinking down into the pit of his stomach. 

There was a long and deafening silence that followed. 

“I’m coming by tonight to get my stuff. Gotta get everything ready to take to Christy’s place.” Link’s voice broke, upset by the implication of his own words. The tears hadn’t come yet, but his eyes were burning. There was a pain beneath them, a dull sensation that made him wince. 

“Alright, man. I’ll be here waiting for you,” Rhett paused hesitantly.

“You know… if you need help or anything.” He said, swallowing hard before continuing, his voice calmer now.

“Yeah, man. See you later.” Link's lips curved into a crooked smile and he placed his palm on Rhett’s shoulder one last time before heading back to his truck. 

Rhett stepped back inside and closed the front door behind him, pressing his back against it and sinking back down on to the floor. He closed his eyes, feeling a volatile and painful stir of all the emotions he’d normally keep bottled down.

He always wanted to show Link that he was strong, and he knew he’d failed. He hurt. He yearned. He was weak, weak for a man who would never reciprocate his feelings.

He wished he would have just told Link the truth, he wished that he hadn’t held it in all these years. He wished he would have said it.

But he didn’t say it.

“I love you.”

It wasn’t that he shouldn’t. It was because he couldn’t. Each time he’d open his mouth, he’d freeze up. He couldn’t force the words out no matter how hard he tried. He was stuck, and the words were stuck. 

It wasn’t like they’d never said it, either, because they had. Link was the first to tell him he loved him, loved him like a brother. 

But Rhett felt differently.

Rhett was in love with Link.

Those words would leave him vulnerable. If he said that to Link, he would have all the power. Link would have the ability to completely break Rhett, to tear him apart with only words. He would have the power to make his heart ache in a way that only he could do.

So he didn’t say it.

Rhett loved him.

But, he still didn’t say it.

To even be considered Link’s best friend should have been good enough for him, and yet he wanted more. 

He wanted the chance to love Link, and to be loved in return. He felt guilty for wanting so much and letting it eat away at his insides. He would never be satisfied with how his life had ended up, and he couldn’t help it.

Rhett moved over to look out the window and saw that Link was gone. He stood there, empty and blank, his heart caving in on itself. 

He watched the sky grow overcast and grey, and rain drench the pavement and slam heavy against the corrugated roof outside, the sounds leaking into the dark room through the window. 

Rhett walked to Link’s bedroom and collapsed on the empty bed, resting his head on his pillow. The familiar musk of Link's cologne reached his senses, and his eyes fell shut. 

The room was bare, only littered with a few belongings and a dresser with a spare landline on top. The walls were inky grey, with the carpet even darker. This was never their first choice for their first place together, but in a hurry, the bare minimum was the only thing possible. 

As if he was trying to block out any more memories from resurfacing, he opened his eyes and looked around, desperate to choke them away with his own reality.

He wasn’t happy with what he met. 

A cold, empty house. There were no gentle touches, no reassuring smiles, no friendly appreciation. This place was not a home.

Especially without Link.

The pain hit him like a kick to his ribs, his chest tightened again and his eyes stung from the pungent truth. He was going to lose Link in one way or another. He would lose the only person who ever showed him any care, any respect or any love. His security was gone, no one standing by to catch him anymore.

He was on his own.

Rhett covered his mouth in disgust, a volatile sensation grating at his insides. He rushed into the bathroom, and dry heaved into the sink, his eyes stinging with the heavy flow of tears that dripped down. 

The pain was overwhelming, and he started to wonder if he was going to pass out. His heart ached, and he felt it digging into every bone of his body. 

He felt it prickling against his skin like pins and needles, tearing apart his insides, and suffocating his lungs. He sat crouched down on the bathroom floor now, leaning against the wall in defeat. He tried to ground himself in some way even though he knew it would take a long time if ever, to get used to Link’s absence. 

This new sensation, he could already feel haunting him for years to come.

Loneliness.

As the realization set in, Rhett’s head sunk between his knees and he felt his throat tighten, his lungs compressing on a hard breath of air. He didn’t realize he wasn’t breathing right until it was too late. 

His body began shaking, and his muscles seized, he couldn’t help but imagine what would happen if he’d just told Link the truth all those years ago. He wouldn’t be in this situation he was in right now, but he still thought of Link.

Rhett thought of how Link might comfort him right now. He thought of the gentle touch of palms against his stained cheeks, Link’s thumbs wiping his tears away. He thought of Link leaning into him, rather than an empty wall. 

He became so dissociated in his thoughts that he lost contact with the world around him. He looked back up to the doorway, and he saw Link in front of him, on his knees, beckoning him forward. He knew it wasn’t real, that Link wasn’t really in the house, but he thought it would nice to believe.

This house he’d spent so many years with his best friend in, was no longer a home to him. He wasn’t sure if he was even familiar with the feeling of home anymore. Maybe, that’s what Link was to him. 

Home.

But, unfortunately, Link wasn’t home anymore. 

Rhett buried his face in his hands and sobbed harder than ever had before. He voice went hoarse with the painful whines and wails that came from his throat.

Shortly after, he decided he needed a nap before Link came over that night. He finally stopped shaking, wiping the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hands. Slowly and by using the wall to help, he stood back up on his feet. His legs felt weaker than when he’d come back into the house earlier.

He felt breathless, his lungs felt compressed against his ribs, and his chest was pumping in and out faster than he ever remembered. Shallow and quick breaths escaped his throat, his chest was in pieces, ripped apart by words and desire. 

He couldn’t believe this was happening to him. Link had told him they would stay friends, no matter what, that he would always be there for him, by his side.

Yet here he was, in an empty bed, in an empty house. 

Nothing was familiar anymore.

And this was all he had left.  


* * *

The storm outside grew stronger. The rain pelted hard against the windows, rushing down in torrents and the wind whirled and ripped through the trees. Each crack of lightning crackled and sparkled with energy, making a lace of sparks through the sky. The wind heralding the rain caused the wind chimes rattle hard against the front door. 

Rhett had been asleep for several hours, and the day quickly turned into the late hours of the night. He knew that Link could show up at any time, though he couldn’t bring himself to move from the bed.

But, soon enough, he heard a knock on the door. He was tempted to stay there all night, but he was a good friend. He knew better than to leave Link outside in the rain.

Raising to his feet, he made his way out of the bedroom, his steps rough and unsteady as he went to open the front door.

“Hey.” 

“Hey… uh, your stuff's in the bedroom.”

“Alright, man.”

Link entered the bedroom that he and Rhett had shared for the past two years. He took his time, putting his belongings into boxes, he sniffed and sputtered, choking back the tears he felt prickling at his eyes as he hauled his belongings off to his truck. 

Rhett didn’t follow him. Instead, he went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He choked hard on a sob, trying not to let Link hear him. His hair fell from his face and stuck to his tears, causing him to look manic. His lungs clenched tight, and he couldn’t breathe. Silent sobs escaped his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground again. He bawled and wept, over the love he had lost.

It felt like hours before he picked himself up off the floor, wiping his tears with the back of his hands. He tried to regain any semblance of composure that he could. He wasn’t sobbing anymore, and that was good enough for him. 

He heard the click of the doorknob, and he buried his head in between his legs, hiding in embarrassment. Link stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Rhett. 

“Rhett… why are you crying?” Link stuttered and choked up, almost sounding like he’d been crying himself. Rhett stared at him for a moment, crouched beneath him, physically representing how small Link made him feel. 

Rhett felt the weight of Link sinking next to him on the floor, and he didn’t push him away when he wrapped his arms around him, his cheek rested against Rhett’s shoulder. He pulled his head back and placed two gentle hands on the sides of Rhett’s jaw. This time Rhett didn’t push him away. 

“Please, tell me what’s wrong, bo.” Link begged, with tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. 

“I’m just sad, man. We’ve grown up so much,” Rhett lied. Link shook his head in disapproval. 

“It hurts,” Rhett gasped, desperate to stop the heavy stream of tears that slid down his cheeks. “I didn't-“ he paused, trying to compose himself. “I don’t know. I don’t know what’s wrong.” He collapsed in a heap on to Link's chest. “I’m hurting. I’m hurting so damn much.” His voice cracked. Link was sobbing too, into Rhett’s shoulder, Rhett’s ragged breath and heaving causing his head to move up and down. 

“Just tell me what’s wrong. Please. You can tell me anything, man,” Link pleaded, his voice raw and unyielding as he sobbed into Rhett's shirt. 

“Tell me the truth.”

So Rhett did.

“I’m in love with you.” The words came out as if they were underwater, muddled and from a different world altogether.

The silence that followed seemed to stretch indefinitely between them.

“I love you.” Rhett repeated. 

“Don’t say that.” Link’s voice cracked. He jerked his head up and backed a few inches away from Rhett. 

“Why? You asked me to tell you the truth.” Rhett's voice was weak.

“Because! You can do this to me! Not now, not after my wedding day!” Link’s voice raised. He wasn’t angry, though his voice shook with each word.

“I’m sorry.” He wasn’t.

“Don’t do this to me.” Link repeated.

“I love you.”

“No,” Link cried. “You don’t love me. Rhett, please. Tell me you don’t. Tell me you don’t mean it. Please.” 

Rhett stared at Link as he broke down. Tears streamed down Link’s face, and his hands tugged at his hair, ruining the once perfectly tousled waves.

“I-I’m sorry,” Rhett stuttered. “I can’t say that. I can’t.” 

“Rhett… please.” Link begged. “Why now? Why not before? Why?” Link repeated and ruminated, almost sounding manic.

“What do you mean? Before? What’re you trying to say?” Rhett cried, his voice cracking again.

He already knew.

Link’s clenched his fists together and held them to his sides. He forced himself to bring his eyes to meet Rhett’s again.

“I love you.”

Those words that Rhett ached to hear for years, but not like this, not now.

“Why?” Rhett gasped hard on a deep breath of air. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know… You’re my best friend, man. I can’t lose that. I didn’t think you'd feel same.”

“I do,” Rhett said. “I do feel the same way, Link. Please… we can be together.” Rhett babbled, he wasn’t making sense anymore, and he didn’t care.

“Rhett, we can’t.”

“Yes, we can. I love you… and you love me.” Rhett demanded, arguing like a child who didn’t get their way.

“I can’t leave Christy.” 

“Do you love her?” Rhett’s voice sounded like it didn’t belong to him. 

He wanted Link to say no.

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t have married her if I didn’t.”

This isn’t how it was supposed to end.

“Do you love her as much as you love me?”

He had to know. He needed to know, needed to know if they still had a chance.

Link didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll never love someone as much as I love you.”

Rhett panicked, his heart hammered in his chest and pain chased down his ribs.

“Link… This can’t be it.”

“It is.”

This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Link wasn’t supposed to love Rhett, and if he did, they were supposed to be together.

“Link,” Rhett pleaded. “Let me kiss you.”

Link hesitated for a moment. 

"Okay."

Rhett leaned forward, inches away from Link’s face. He trailed off, gazing into Link’s eyes. Tilting his head, Link pushed closer and met him halfway. Rhett found his hands weaving into Link’s unkempt hair, and Link’s hands found their way to the sides of Rhett’s face. At first, it was slow, dry kisses over and over. 

Then Link found himself pinned to the bathroom floor. Rhett kissed him desperately, kissed him as if he would never be able to do it again, and he knew he wouldn't. Link cradled Rhett’s face in his hands, and their lips moved together in a deep rhythmic motion. 

Link could taste the tears that had rolled down Rhett’s face and slipped into their kiss. Rhett broke away, desperate for a breath of air, before Link pulled him down by a fist in his shirt, smothering him in another deep embrace.

Rhett pulled away first. They stared at each other, and he could see it then. He saw the way Link looked at him. 

It was the same way Rhett looked at him for years.

“I love you.” Rhett whispering, resting his forehead gently against Link’s. Link averted his eyes from Rhett, inching himself away from him as he lifted himself back on to his feet.

“I love you, too.”

Then he was gone.

Rhett was left alone in an empty room, in an empty house. He could still feel Link’s lips on his, and now that he knew what it was like to have him, he didn’t know how he would go on without it.

Rhett loved Link.

But Link wasn’t his. He never was.


	3. Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I've been burning, yes, I've been burning_   
>  _Such a burden, this flame on my chest_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the overwhelming support on this. I appreciate it more than you guys realize. <3
> 
> I recommend listening to "Burning" and "One Last Song" by Sam Smith while reading.

After that night so many years ago, Rhett thought that at some point, his bone-deep love for Link would have diminished or at the very least, lessened the pain he felt in his heart, buried deep down into his chest. 

Almost eighteen years had come and gone, and nearly everything reminded him of Link, with every month, and every year that went by, his heart still ached at the thought of him. 

Rhett thought maybe he would have found a wife, another partner even, someone to distract him from the pain of loss, but that just wasn’t the case. He was as alone as he’d ever been and even lonelier than he was before he’d ever met Link. 

It seemed as even though as life carried on, after he left North Carolina, and he’d accomplished nearly everything he wanted to in his life, there was still one half on him that yearned for Link. 

Some portion of him, not even his presence, but maybe the knowledge that he was alive and healthy would have been enough for him. But after their falling out, they hadn’t seen each other since their time together in North Carolina. 

The knowledge that he’d very likely never see his best friend again was no companion, and neither was the pain that came along with it.

Being time of the year it was, with Rhett’s fortieth birthday just around the corner, certainly didn’t help matters either. He remembered spending every one of them with Link growing up, now just distant memories. 

Each year came and went, and he always had the opportunity of spending it with friends or family. Except, he never did. 

So there Rhett was, in his car sobbing; it brought him back to that same night of Link’s wedding. 

He threw his head back attempting to choke back the few tears that threatened to escape. 

He missed Link, more than he could bear. He missed being with Link, the laughs they shared, the memories. 

But Link had moved and obviously, Rhett should too, but he didn’t. Nearly two decades, and he was still too weak to move on. Link truly was the only person Rhett had ever loved, and now he was gone.

Rhett sobbed, his voice cracking a bit as he felt the warm rush of tears down his cheeks. He brought his hand up to wipe them away, pressing his face against the glass and staring out at an empty bar across the street. 

Rhett sighed heavily, stepping out of his car before he found himself inside of the bar. He made his way to the small booth he’d become familiar with over the years and sat down, burying his face in his hands. 

Rhett’s heart remained broken, split straight down the middle, with a dull ache in his chest that never went away. 

He just wanted Link there. 

He hoped maybe, just maybe, his birthday would be different this year. 

He knew it wouldn’t be. 

A young bartender made his way over to Rhett, asking him what he’d like to drink, snapping him out of his quiet trance. 

“Whiskey is fine for now,” he said, his voice sounded slightly broken from crying earlier, and his throat burned from the tears he had choked back.

He sat there with his hands clasped as he held back his tears, the few that did fall down his cheek were quickly wiped away and he hid his face; the only thing he could do without falling apart in front of everyone. There were only a few others in the bar, the other workers were still there, and even though he could try to keep quiet, people could still come in.

The bartender returned with a glass of whiskey on the rocks, to which Rhett thanked him half-heartedly before sipping from the glass. 

A glass of whiskey quickly spiraled into several shots of vodka. He was downing shot after shot, having drunk probably three before he was face down, head pressed against the cool glass of the table, drifting off into a stupor. 

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him hard enough to knock him out of slumber and back to reality. The bartender was there, asking if he was okay. Rhett had been asleep for a few hours, now accompanied by a splitting headache, and was ready to go home at that point. 

“You good, man? Do you need anyone to call for a ride?” 

“I’m fine,” Rhett said, watching as the bartender returned back behind his station. He sighed again and got up from his seat, heading toward the front door. 

That was when he heard it. 

The bar had been nearly empty the entire night, until now. He heard footsteps, then the loud creak of the entrance door, and what met him made all the blood leave his face. 

In front of Rhett now stood, in the flesh, was a much older, mature—but still undoubtedly—Link Neal. 

Rhett’s world suddenly went grey around the edges, his mouth opened to speak but no words left him. He heard only a gasp and feet moving, and felt himself disappear, his body coming down to the floor. 

He came back to himself moments later, and he felt someone supporting him back up, walking him back over to a chair nearby. Rhett slumped back, gasping, and raised his hands to grasp at his arms. 

He knelt in front of Rhett now, the man who so resembled his former friend. He looked much different. His features were older, his hair graying, but there was no mistaking who it was. 

Rhett was confused. He didn’t understand why, or how, Link had ended up in California, at the same place, and the same time he did. He didn’t question it though; he was completely dumbfounded. 

He was convinced this was some cruel joke, or that maybe he was still asleep, and this was just a dream. 

Except it wasn’t. 

“Link…” Rhett said as he began to shake. Link’s hands, the hands he’d yearned for all these years, now clutched Rhett’s shoulders. “Link, is that really you?”

“Yes, Rhett.” The depth of feeling in Links words swelled Rhett’s heart, and without realizing it, their foreheads touched and aligned, and Link cupped his face. Rhett was hesitant at first but allowed Link to continue. 

“It’s been so long. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t reach out to you sooner,” Link paused, getting ready for a long speech. There was really no words to ease the years of pain Rhett went through, but Link persisted. 

He ran his hand gently over Rhett’s jaw, and that was when Rhett finally noticed it. 

Link’s left hand was bare. His fingers were bare of any ring. 

“I reached out to some of your friends. They told me they had a feeling you’d be here. I’m sorry Rhett. I’m so sorry. But, happy early birthday. I’ve missed every year, I know. I couldn’t keep on doing that to you though. You’re starting to get old, man,” Link laughed lightheartedly. 

“I needed to be here, needed to say it you, face to face. I missed you so much.” Rhett watched as a tear rolled down Link’s cheek, looking him in the eyes, into those pale orbs searching his own.

The two stood there, and for a moment the world behind them slowed down. The ache in Rhett’s chest overtook him. He felt it rise from deep within, where it had been buried for years, and he pressed himself forward and pulled Link closer until they were just inches from each other’s faces. 

Link rose from his seat and pulled Rhett back up on to his feet, the two standing to face each other now. 

The song playing over the radio faded and the familiar notes of a slow, melodic tune surrounded them, resonating off the walls. 

Music floated up into their area, causing them both to smile. “Kind of cliché, but do you want to dance?” Link extended a hand forward to Rhett, who hesitated a moment before accepting his offer. 

Link hoisted him forward and pulled him toward his body, slowly swaying with the music. Rhett’s hands on Link’s shoulders, Link’s on Rhett’s waist. Nobody was leading, and they were just standing there, swaying back and forth. 

The only light came from the neon lights of the bar, giving the room a soft glow. It was warm and peaceful. 

They fell silent as the music gradually grew louder, keeping the tempo, their movements matching it as they swayed around the open area.

Nothing needed to be said then, eighteen years of silence bleeding into that very moment. 

As the song slowly trailed onto the next, their swaying slowed to a halt and Link lifted his head up to meet his eyes. 

“Rhett?” Link said, looking up at Rhett with pure admiration in his eyes. 

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

It was the same question Rhett had asked all those years ago, and as much as hesitation had taken over him, he couldn't say no.

Rhett held on to Link's shoulder with one hand and clasped the back of his head with other to bring them together. Rhett closed his eyes and Link did the same, breathing him in. 

He let out a small whine before pressing his lips against Link’s, continuing what they’d started all those years ago. 

Link pulled him forward and pressed himself closer at the same time, in the desperate attempt that they could become one. He tilted his head before finding the best angle and kissed Rhett with desperate, passionate, aching avidity. 

They spent several minutes like that before Link broke away and Rhett rested his forehead against his. 

“Rhett…” 

Rhett felt his heart break again, holding in his arms the man he wanted back for so long. 

“Link,” Rhett whispered, testing the word in his mouth again. Rhett repeated himself and made Link look at him once more. Rhett kissed his lips once, where a small pout was forming, before parting from the skin. “Link, you’re really here.” 

Link nodded and bit his bottom lip. Rhett pulled it out from his teeth with his thumb, brushing along it as he did. “You’re here… and I need you to know something,” 

“Yes, Rhett?” Link hushed. Rhett’s heart melted at the site of Link’s full attention, his bright, warm eyes boring into his own. 

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Rhett paused, hesitant. 

“I love you.”

Rhett’s thumb brushed his cheek, left to right, as he watched Link’s eyes change in expression. 

“Rhett...” Link exhaled, and that was all Rhett needed to hear before he kissed him again. 

Rhett’s heart was in his arms now. All the love and light he ever needed in his life, there once more.

“Do you believe in fate, Rhett?” Link asked, easing his head back.

Rhett thought about it for a moment. He hadn’t lately and not for a while now. 

But here they were.

“Maybe I do.”


End file.
